#Julian has one thing that they will resort to violence for and one thing only

[across-every-universe]

Knight: Okay, now who saw Jason throw the first punch?

Bar: *raises hands*

Knight: And who saw Julian do it?

Bar: *silence*

Julian, who definitely threw the first punch and was completely in the right for it and everyone in the bar knows it: *grinning at Jason through the blood running out of their nose*

K.aeya, who showed up five seconds ago: (internally) what???? the fuck?? happened here?????

[angellayercake]

Sam and the Series of Disastrous Dates

Sam has watched her new best friend fall in love with the man of her dreams but when will it be her turn? For OC kiss week 2023 we will follow Sam from the Pastimes for a Retired Papa series on some of her dating adventures and see if she will ever meet her dream man.

Original Female Character x Original Male Character

AO3

Day 3 - Nostalgia (TW graphic descriptions of violence from the Jack the Ripper murders) 

She had finally resorted to tinder. Her friends had let her down. She certainly didn’t feel like approaching anyone in the wild. So she was sitting in her apartment one evening swiping away at endless pictures of men hiking abroad, men posing with tigers, men posing at the gym, men djing. Over and over again it was the same thing. 

Only swipe right for blondes. No. Left.

Only listens to EDM. No. Left.

Has four different cities listed in location. No. Left.

Only looking for hookups. No. Left.

Only travels north of the river. No. Left

Found myself while travelling in Thailand. No. Left.

Doctor of History who runs walking tours around the city as a hobby. Maybe. She taps on his picture and reads the rest of his comments, intrigued. He had shaggy hair, dressed like a hipster geography teacher and wore glasses. He looked down to earth and approachable. Ok so swiping right then. The ‘It’s a match’ pops up instantly and the app sends her straight to the message system. Here goes nothing. 

Two nights later she finds herself waiting by a bus stop in East London watching as he concludes his last tour of the day. The tourists were hanging on his every word. He had caught her eye as they arrived, offering her a smile and she was relieved to see he looked exactly like his pictures. The group started to disperse and he stopped to shake hands with an older couple who looked like they were thanking him and handing over a tip. Then he was walking towards her and she felt the beginnings of butterflies in her stomach. 

‘It’s Sam isn’t it?’ He was soft spoken but sure of himself. ‘I’m Julien, it’s lovely to meet you in person.’ They had messaged enough to establish there was some kind of connection and attraction and when she had jokingly asked for a private tour he had eagerly offered to meet the next night after his last group. 

‘Thanks Julian, great to meet you too, although I think I’m more excited for the tour.’ She joked and he gave her a cheeky smile. 

‘Sure, how can I compete with Jack the Ripper! I’ll never be as interesting and mysterious as that guy.’ They laughed together, the slightly awkward first date atmosphere clearing so when he offered her his arm she took it smiling and let him lead her away through the bust foot traffic. 

‘Whitechapel was referred to as such because of the church that dominated the skyline in the area and what started out as just a landmark became a nickname and then it stuck so the area is still named after it today long after the church is gone. Nothing else about the area could have been considered white or pure, with some of the most dangerous streets being known as the ‘blackest of the black streets.’ not only because of the lack of the now iconic gas street lamps but because of the black deeds that used to take place here.’ He wasn’t just lecturing her about history he was weaving a tapestry with his words, so vivid she could almost picture it blanketing over the cars and neon signs that filled the East End streets now, transporting her back to 1888. 

‘The area was adjacent to the worst factories in London, the Tanneries and the Slaughterhouses, so noxious fumes and pollution were everywhere. This made rent cheap and attracted a deadly cocktail of immigrants, criminals and the desperate. You can imagine how high tensions were, no jobs, no way out, all just crammed in together with no hope. It was a tinderbox and the murders were about to set it ablaze.’ She was barely able to keep her eyes off him as they walked. She was captivated so when he came to a stop under the opening of what used to be Bucks Row she almost crashed into him. 

‘This is where Mary Ann Nichols, the first canonical victim was found. She was found by two workers at 3.40am her throat viciously cut and her abdomen open to expose all her internal organs.’ After his almost poetic descriptions of the Victorian setting it was a shock to hear him talk about the vicious attack on the women with similar glee. 

‘She met a terrible fate,’ Sam interjected wanting to stop the gruesome explanation. 

‘But she was an unfortunate. So many met a terrible fate in one way or another. At least as a Ripper Woman, her name has gone down in history.’ She didn’t like how he referred to her as a ‘Ripper Woman’ like she wasn’t a human being in her own right. 

‘I think she would have rather lived on even if it was the life of an unfortunate.’ He looked at her curiously like he had never considered the victims to be people in their own right before. 

‘Ok, well shall we continue?’ She nodded allowing him to lead her onwards but as he continued waxing lyrical about the filthy lodging houses and notorious rendezvous of thieves, the magic never quite came back. 

They meandered the Whitechapel streets pausing at areas of interest as he continued telling her the story. He really was very attractive, and if not for the unsettling feeling of something off, this could have easily been the best date she had been on in a long while.

As they reached Hanbury street, the location of the second murder he veered back on to the topic of victims injuries and Sam could only wince to herself. Once was slightly weird but twice was not something she could ignore. 

‘He slashed through her abdomen you see and then he disembowelled her. But not only that, he removed her uterus. Cut it away with a precision hardly expected from professionals at the time. And he achieved that silently in a dark back alley. It’s an impressive feat, so impressive.’ He was staring at the ground at the area where he indicated her body was found like he was picturing her brutalised corpse lying there. 

She looked around feeling the urge to be more aware of her surroundings. It was completely dark now, the area lit by the orange glow of the streetlamps. The side street they were currently walking down was surprisingly quiet but she could hear the traffic on the main road nearby and could see pedestrians crossing the road up ahead. The longer she was listening to him speak the more it sounded like he was talking about an obsession rather than a subject of academic interest. 

She shivered as a gust of wind blew down the street stirring the litter along the gutter and he finally looked away from the pavement. 

‘Getting cold are we? Let’s keep walking and see if we can get you warmed up.’ She just nods in agreement and takes his offered arm. She feels some of her anxiety begin to ebb as he leads her back towards  the main road. They were heading towards Spitalfields market, a place always bustling with activity even at this time in the evening and they paused as they went peering through the windows of artisan bakeries, hipster boutiques and record shops, their conversation turning more light hearted. She began to think perhaps she was overreacting. As a tour guide he must have to add a degree of drama and exaggeration to the story to keep the tourists entertained. That was probably just seeping into his performance for her. It just felt a little intense for a one on one tour.

As they discussed their favourite records she felt even more at ease so she didn’t mind as he steered her away from the market towards Berner Street and the site of the third victim. 

‘The double incident,’ he said with a flourish of his arms. ‘The only time the Ripper was ever nearly caught in action. A tired man returning from work with his horse and cart. Only able to find his way in the dark because he knew the streets like the back of his hand. If only he had had a light he would have come face to face with a legend. But that didn’t stop our Jack, did it? No he was not content with just slashing that woman’s throat so we move on, as he did that night.’ He took her by the hand, excitedly pulling her along until they reached Mitre’s Square. ‘And here, he committed his most impressive feat. In only fifteen minutes he performed a full disembowelment, smeared the corpse with faeces, mutilated her reproductive system, removed part of her kidney, too take as a trophy perhaps.’ As the list went on she felt more and more nauseous she swallowed down the taste of bile in her throat.

‘I hope she was dead before he did that to her.’ The least she could hope was that she hadn’t been in pain. ‘The poor woman.’

‘But that wasn’t all! No, he added something extra this time. He cut into her face leaving her almost unrecognisable and took her ear lobes as well. Whether he had planned to do the same to the first of that night's victims or if his near discovery sent him into a frenzy but it was clear that he was escalating and would only continue his reign of terror.’ He didn’t even acknowledge her comment even though he was looking at her intensely and she felt her anxiety creeping back.

‘Shall we continue?’ He asked, snapping back to the here and now. ‘The last place on our tour and the location of Jack’s most brutal canonical murder.’ He gestures for her to follow him and she is once again relieved to see more people around. They quickly arrived at White’s row. 

‘This area has been completely rebuilt since the 1800’s’ He explains as they slow to a stroll. He stops about half way down the road looking up at the row of buildings in front of them. ‘But after comparing maps both new and old this was the location of the Ripper’s first and only indoor murder and the first with any degree of privacy here in the squalid rented room of Annie Chapman. He took his time, her clothes and shoes neatly folded in the corner and she was laid out on the bed open from thigh to chest. Her uterus, intestines and one breast piled together pillowing her head. Her other breast and liver were resting at her feet then either side her intestine and spleen were laid out. The removed skin had been as carefully folded as her clothes and left on her bedside table. But her face was the worst of the lot, completely destroyed to the point of being unrecognisable as human. Apart from her eyes, which were completely untouched and stared up at anyone who looked upon her mutilated body with a look of pure terror.’ 

She swallowed as nausea rose within her once again. She hoped he wasn’t this graphic when touring with the public, the dreamy grin on his face as he described the fate of the last poor women disturbed her most of all though. 

‘I think that’s about as much talk of murder as I can handle for one night.’ She nervously laughed trying to ease her own tension more than anything. ‘How about we head to that pub we saw a while back? Drinks are on you though. I saw that couple slip you some notes.’ She would rather go home actually but for now her main priority was to be around other people and not be stuck down a quiet residential street with a serial killer’s number one fanboy.

He turned to her still with the far away smile.

‘Do you know what date it is today?’ She didn’t like that he didn’t even acknowledge her question. 

‘Um the 8th of November?’ She was unsure why it was relevant but his smile grew wider.

‘It sure is. And that is also why I just had to do this with you tonight.’ She racked her brains to try and remember why that date would be relevant.

‘And um why is that?’ She wasn’t sure she really wanted to know.

‘Tonight it is exactly 134 years since the last murder. How could I pass up this opportunity?’ He was walking towards her now and she felt her heart rate increase. He got closer and closer and she felt rooted to the spot. ‘No one has ever really shown interest in this before Sam, and then you message me and ask to learn more about him just days before. I felt almost like fate.’ He was close enough now that he could place his hands on her shoulders and every instinct in her was screaming at her to run but she couldn’t move. He continued coming closer and closer until he brushed his lips over hers so gently but she could barely feel it, face entirely numb from fear. 

‘I thought to myself that’s potential wife material right there! Now what were you saying about getting a drink?’ Whatever crazed fog had been over him before had disappeared in an instant giving her emotional whiplash. She gasped in a breath as she realised no she wasn’t about to get murdered to honour Jack the Ripper, she was just on a date with a weirdly intense nerd and she had to blink away the tears of relief that formed in her eyes. 

‘Yeah right, come on then.’ She takes him by the hand and leads him back in the direction they came.

Later on the train home she deletes tinder. Never again.

[juliandev0rak]

This is an angsty one, the main 6 when mc is kidnapped and never found or found, but it's too late.

OOF! MC and the Main 6 have been through TOO much and yet here we are putting them through more… 

warnings: kidnapping, mentions of death and violence

Asra

the second he notices you’re gone he’s terrified

he’s lost you before and he won’t lose you again so he immediately begins to search for you

he has to be convinced to take help from others, he wants to run off after you alone but Nadia convinces him to take his friends, including her, as reinforcements

his first course of action is to use one of your personal items to track you down

when the trail ends at the edge of the city he’s frustrated, whoever took you must have found a way to suppress your aura

he refuses to take a break until you’re found, using every spell or method he can think of to find you

when he finds you dead you’d better believe he’ll do what it takes to make the villain pay

he’s absolutely destroyed to find you dead a second time, but he’s brought you back to life once and he'll do it again

if he doesn’t find you the search will never end- he’ll spend his whole life trying to find you again

Julian

when he finds out you’ve been taken he instantly finds a way to blame himself, if only he’d been with you, if only he’d shown up a few minutes earlier

instead of shutting down or running away like he might’ve done in the old days he channels that energy into finding you

he asks Asra for help, this seems like a job that magic can help with

he puts the knowledge from his pirate days to good use, asking around in all of the seedier parts of town and trying to find out if you left Vesuvia

when he gets a lead he’ll rush off, no questions asked, not caring if it brings him into danger

if he’s found the right spot he’ll have to be convinced not to rush in to wherever you’re being kept, listening to his friend’s advice to wait and watch for a better opening

if he finds you dead it’ll be the greatest regret of his life, he’ll blame himself for not being fast enough to save you and he’ll hold himself responsible, getting revenge might give him a semblance of closure but he’ll miss you forever

if he doesn’t find you he’ll continue to search, he’ll take to the seas and travel everywhere he can looking for even a hint of you

he might even risk meeting the Hanged Man again in the hopes of finding out where you are

Nadia

of course she’s upset when she finds out what happened, but she’s always quick to spring into action

as a member of royalty she has a lot of enemies, so she’ll have a list of suspects straightaway

she sends trusted guards to investigate leads, turning the palace into her center of operations

someone will have to make sure she’s eating and resting because if it were up to her she wouldn’t rest until you’re back safely

she has more than enough money to pay any ransom your captors might demand and enough political know-how to make sure the situation is resolved in her favor

when your location is finally discovered she shows up personally to make sure you get back safely

if the ransom deal had gone to plan you would’ve been fine, but things go unpredictably south and when she arrives she finds she’s too late

she’s determined that your captors will face justice and she’d kill them herself if she could

once the kidnappers are dealt with, she plans you a lavish funeral and makes sure that all of Vesuvia remembers your name 

though she’ll face your death with tact, behind closed doors she’s  completely destroyed and can’t help but blame herself

Muriel

he knows he can’t deal with this on his own so as much as he wants to rush after you with only Inanna for company, he asks Asra and Nadia for their help

he’s pretty good with magic and tracking so he’s able to find the trail pretty quickly

the whole time you’re missing he’ll be sick with worry, nearly unable to talk and definitely missing out on sleep entirely

when he finally manages to find out where you are he rushes there as quickly as possible, ready to resort to violence if he has to 

he doesn’t care about revenge, he just wants you back and he’ll do what he has to to make that happen

when he finds you and realizes that it’s too late he collapses at your side and he’ll have to be dragged away, even though you don’t know he’s there he doesn’t want to leave you

he’ll insist on carrying you out, no matter how large you are, and will make sure you have a proper funeral, it’s the only thing he can do for you now so he wants to do it right

Portia

oh boy is she mad! whoever took you should be worried, detective Portia is on the case and she is out for blood

she does a full investigation of the crime scene and will make sure to catalog any clues she finds 

Julian insists on going with her to find you and Mazelinka teaches her a few pirate fighting tricks to make sure she’ll be safe

giving up is not an option so she doesn’t stop looking until she finds where you’re being kept

the Devorak Duo are ready to fight for you and when they burst into the empty storehouse you’re allegedly being held in they’re utterly surprised to find you dead

when she realizes what she’s seeing she falls to the ground in disbelief and sorrow, Julian has to haul her out of there in case any of the kidnappers are still around 

she’ll miss you forever and will probably blame herself despite everyone around her trying to tell her that she did her best

but she knows- her best wasn’t good enough to keep you alive and her best won't be enough to bring you back

Lucio

as soon as he finds out you’re gone he is on the move

his years as a mercenary have taught him a lot about criminals and, probably, a lot about kidnapping

he’s great at tracking and doesn’t want to waste time bringing anyone along, besides he’s pretty sure he can handle a few lousy kidnappers

as he follows the trail your captors left behind he grows even more eager for a fight, how dare someone take you from him

it doesn’t take him long to find out where you’re being kept and in true Lucio fashion, he rushes in thoughtlessly

he doesn’t care or even seem to notice that he’s wildly out numbered, he cuts down anyone who comes near, his eyes staying trained on you

when he finds your body no longer breathing he’s overcome with rage

there will be carnage and not one of your captors will make it out without a painful death

he takes comfort in the fact that he avenged your death but he’s heartbroken to have lost you and he won’t ever let your death go

he makes it his personal mission to rid Vesuvia of anyone remotely involved in your death, he even tries to have the palace guards who were on watch the night you were taken executed 

luckily for the guards his revenge plot is put to a stop by Nadia who reminds him that this isn’t what you would’ve wanted

[lunacrow-writes]

After Sorta Dead Nightmares- Lucio

Words- 982

WARNINGS-  SOME VIOLENCE, DEATH AND SOME GORE

Shakes, cold sweats, twisting and turning were only a few of the symptoms of Lucio’s nightmares. Ever since coming back to life, he has been plagued with nightmares. The same ones over and over again. The courtiers coming back for revenge, wanting his soul, and taking no mercy. They ravaged the town leaving no one standing. All because of him. Him and his actions. 

He knows what he did was wrong and he is trying to improve himself. Lucio doesn’t expect people to forgive him but he is trying to show that he is trying to change for the better. He is working with Nadia, MC and Asra to figure out how to help the city. Even though helping everyone is making him feel like he is doing something during the day, during the night he feels like he resorts to his old self. 

Especially when he is alone. When everyone leaves his side, his dark thoughts come out. The thoughts that don't help his nightmares. They make it worse. Thoughts of resorting back to his old self; thoughts of why would people care for him; thoughts of people hanging him publicly for what he did to the people, which he, in the back of his mind, believed should be his punishment. Thoughts that MC was going to leave him in his sleep. Those thoughts were the worst.

The only person who has truly, and i mean truly believed, he could change was MC. They helped him start this journey of regaining everyone's faith. He didn’t want all of it. No, not all. He didn’t deserve all of it. Just enough to believe in him to go with his ideas to rebuild the city. They have been by his side since he returned. They made him feel alive again. Coming back from the dead is a hard thing to go through. He sometimes needs that conformation that he is alive again. He needs that warmth to reassure him of his safety, to reassure him he is well and ain’t going nowhere for a long time. 

MC also gives him the feeling of being loved. They fill the holes in his heart where he once thought power and dictatorship could fill. They make him feel whole. Their love makes his stomach bubble with nerves. They make him feel nervous by just being in the room. Is he doing okay? Are you proud of him? 

Tonight's nightmare was the same. It starts off with Lucio walking out of the palace to the city on fire. Red beetles scurry across the ground, chomping on living people, leaving the dead to rot. They infect whoever they can reach. The Ponifix wheels up a long noose with Julian hanging, limp and dead. Nadia strung out around the front gates, blood dripping from where the sharp points of the gates penetrate her delicate skin. Muriel is tied up, on his knees, beaten to the inch of his life, just as a sword pierces his heart. Portia’s neck is slit as she sits in a prayer position. Asra is hung up, crucified. The bottom lit on fire as he slowly dies from blood loss. As for MC…

MC is laid out on an operation table, head facing him, eyes dark and appear lifeless. Valdemar stands over them with a tilted head. The doctor had their mask on still but Lucio could feel the wickedness coming from them. 

MC’s mouth cracked open a sliver, dry cracked lips trying to form words.“This is all your fault. All your fault, Lucio.” A hoarse voice came out. MC started coughing heavily.

 Lucio stumbled back.“No. No. I didn’t mean to. I-I’m sorry. I didn’t want any of this to happen. Please, spare them.” 

Valdemar laughed evilly.“Lucio, you know I don’t spare suffering plague patients. This patient here is suffering from the red plague, which you brought here. You brought this upon them and now they shall be put out of their misery, for their sake, of science.” With that, Valdemar stabbed their scalpel in their flesh. Lucio let out a scream as he was thrown from his dream.

 He shot up in bed, gasping for air. His lungs burned as his chest burned. His throat rough and scratchy like he had screamed in real life. 

MC twisted around in bed and sat up.“Lucio, what's wrong?” 

Tears burned in his eyes and he shook. His body not able to stay still for a second. His eyes were wide with fright. MC placed a hand on his shoulder. He flinched. “Hey- It's just me. It's MC. You’re alright. It was just a dream.” 

Lucio turned to look at them, hair falling in his face. MC brushed back his hair before sliding their hand to cup his cheek. He choked out a sob and fell into MC arms, laying his damp forehead on their shoulder. 

“You’re here. You’re alive.” His words came out scratchy and hoarse.

 They started stroking his hair, whispering calming words into his ear. They stayed like that for about ten minutes before Lucio pulled back, wiping his face. MC's sleeping shirt was wet in one corner.

“Sorry about your shirt.” 

They shrugged and smiled smally at him.“Its fine. Are you feeling better? Was it a nightmare?”

 Lucio hadn’t told them what the dreams were about just that they were bad. He nodded, sniffling.“Yeah. Same one.” 

They smacked their lips and pulled them back into their arms. Lucio snuggled his head into their neck, wrapping his arms around their body, holding them close.  

“Please don’t leave me. Don’t leave…”

“Shhh, I won’t. I’m not going to leave you.” MC scooted down and pulled Lucio with them, resting his head on their chest, holding him close. He closed his eyes, rubbing his head on their chest, trying to get as close as possible.

 “I’m not going to leave you…” 

[newstfionline]

Monday, January 25, 2021

Americans remain sorely divided as Biden’s quest for unity begins (Washington Post) The other day, Stu Ross, a retired elementary school teacher, threw his neighbor out of his townhouse in Harrisburg, Pa. The guy had said he saw nothing wrong with the attack on the U.S. Capitol. The two haven’t spoken since. So when Ross heard President Joe Biden’s Inauguration Day appeal for a lowered temperature, for unity, he wasn’t seeing a realistic path to that goal. Ross called the new president’s first speech “soothing and calm.” But unity? Normalcy? A return to how things used to be, to Biden’s idea that “politics doesn’t have to be a raging fire?” Come on. At the dawn of an administration that seeks to return to a less fractious, even boring, politics, many Americans grant that Biden’s quest for a quieter culture is a nice enough goal, but, from the left and right, many say the country’s divisions remain too deep to allow for such a shift. In Topeka, Kan., Ed Myers has no patience for the debate over whether to hold Donald Trump to account for his role in inciting the attempted insurrection at the Capitol. A retired farm equipment factory worker, Myers says he was suspended by Twitter after he wrote that Biden is “an illegitimate president.” The way Myers sees it: That puts him in the same boat as Trump, whose Twitter account was banned for “incitement of violence,” which Myers views as a move to stifle free speech. So no, Myers sees no reason to unify, no cause to rally around the new president to combat the virus and revive the economy.

Barred From U.S. Under Trump, Muslims Exult in Biden’s Open Door (NYT) As the results of the American presidential election rolled in on Nov. 4, a young Sudanese couple sat up through the night in their small town south of Khartoum, eyes glued to the television as state tallies were declared, watching anxiously. They had a lot riding on the outcome. A year earlier, Monzir Hashim had won the State Department’s annual lottery to obtain a green card for the United States only to learn that President Trump, in his latest iteration of the “Muslim ban,” had barred Sudanese citizens from immigrating to the United States. The election seemed to offer a second chance, and when Mr. Trump was eventually declared to have lost the vote, Mr. Hashim and his wife, Alaa Jamal, hugged with joy. Few foreigners welcomed Mr. Biden’s election victory as enthusiastically as the tens of thousands of Muslims who have been locked out of the United States for the past four years as a result of the Trump-era immigration restrictions popularly known as the “Muslim ban.” By one count, 42,000 people were prevented from entering the United States from 2017 to 2019, mostly from Muslim-majority nations like Iran, Somalia, Yemen and Syria. But the human cost of Mr. Trump’s measures, stitched into the fabric of disrupted lives stained with tears and even blood, can hardly be counted—families separated for years; weddings and funerals missed; careers and study plans upended; lifesaving operations that did not take place.

A Digital Dragnet Is Coming For The U.S. Capitol Insurrectionists (HuffPost) The insurrectionists might have been able to leave without being arrested. Their friends and family members may not have turned them in. But slowly but surely, the digital surveillance net is tightening on the supporters of former President Donald Trump who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Most of the cases being unveiled by federal authorities are still originating with tips from the public, and there are hundreds of future defendants who have yet to be identified and charged. But a few of the criminal charges appear to be built on wider-spanning search warrants to social media companies that appear to have given federal authorities investigative leads they’ve used to identify lawbreakers. The cellphones that the Capitol insurrectionists carried with them when they tried to overturn the results of the presidential election through force were feeding information to a variety of tech companies that now hold incriminating information about their users’ violations of the law. “We’re all carrying tiny tracking devices with us all the time, and people aren’t necessarily conscious of the extent to which that information is obtainable from a variety of sources,” said Julian Sanchez, a senior fellow at Cato and an expert on technology, privacy and civil liberties.

Mexican president Lopez Obrador tests positive for COVID-19 (AP) Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Sunday he had tested positive for COVID-19, amid an intense second wave of the coronavirus pandemic that has pushed the health system of the country’s vast capital city close to saturation. The 67-year-old president said in a tweet that his symptoms were light and he was receiving medical treatment. Lopez Obrador has maintained a busy public schedule during the pandemic and has said he enjoys good health, after suffering a serious heart attack at the age of 60 in 2013.

Spain’s virus surge hits mental health of front-line workers (AP) The unrelenting increase in COVID-19 infections in Spain following the holiday season is again straining hospitals, threatening the mental health of doctors and nurses who have been at the forefront of the pandemic for nearly a year. A study released this month by Hospital del Mar looking at the impact of the spring’s COVID-19 surge on more than 9,000 health workers across Spain found that at least 28% suffered major depression. That is six times higher than the rate in the general population before the pandemic, said Dr. Jordi Alonso, one of the chief researchers. In addition, the study found that nearly half of participants had a high risk of anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic attacks or substance- and alcohol-abuse problems. Spanish health care workers are far from the only ones to have suffered psychologically from the pandemic. In China, the levels of mental disorders among doctors and nurses were even higher, with 50% reporting depression, 45% reporting anxiety and 34% reporting insomnia, according to the World Health Organization. In the U.K., a survey released last week by the Royal College of Physicians found that 64% of doctors reported feeling tired or exhausted. One in four sought out mental health support. “It is pretty awful at the moment in the world of medicine,” Dr. Andrew Goddard, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said in a statement accompanying the study. “Hospital admissions are at the highest-ever level, staff are exhausted, and although there is light at the end of the tunnel, that light seems a long way away.”

French Roosters Now Crow With the Law Behind Them (NYT) The crow of a rooster and the ringing of a church bell at dawn. The rumble of a tractor and the smell of manure wafting from a nearby stable. The deafening song of cicadas or the discordant croaking of frogs. Quacking ducks, bleating sheep and braying donkeys. Perennial rural sounds and smells such as these were given protection by French law last week, when lawmakers passed a bill to preserve “the sensory heritage of the countryside,” after a series of widely publicized neighborhood spats in France’s rural corners, many of them involving noisy animals. The disputes symbolized tensions between urban newcomers and longtime country dwellers, frictions that have only grown as the coronavirus pandemic and a string of lockdowns draw new residents to the countryside. Perhaps the most prominent of these noisy animals was Maurice, a rooster in Saint-Pierre-d’Oléron, a town on an island off France’s western coast. His owner had been sued by neighbors—regular vacationers in the area—because he crowed too loudly. Politicians and thousands of petitioners rushed to the Gallic rooster’s defense, and a court eventually ruled in 2019 that Maurice, who died last summer at the age of six, was well within his rights. It is too late for Maurice. But his successor, Maurice II, can now crow with the full-throated confidence of someone who has the law on their side.

Davos ski resort eerily quiet without economic talkfest this year (Reuters) Student protesters who urged world leaders at the 2020 World Economic Forum in Davos to “Stop (f)lying to us” must be pleased this year, at least as far as the flying is concerned. The streets of the little Alpine town that welcomed around 3,000 business chiefs, political thinkers and state leaders for last year’s annual meeting lie deserted. Discussions have moved online, starting Monday, and COVID-19 restrictions are also keeping regular tourists away. “Look around, it’s empty. Normally, all hotels would be fully booked at this time,” Reto Branschi, head of Davos Klosters tourism, told Reuters in an interview this week. There are no helicopters patrolling the skies, no protesters trying to outwit security forces sealing off the Alpine resort. But not everybody is sad about the lack of buzz. “Complete peace and quiet,” a local woman wearing a mask said. “I don’t miss it at all.”

Trapped for 2 weeks, 11 workers rescued from China gold mine (AP) Eleven workers trapped for two weeks inside a Chinese gold mine were brought safely to the surface on Sunday, a landmark achievement for an industry long-blighted by disasters and high death tolls. Hundreds of rescue workers and officials stood at attention and applauded as the workers were brought up from the mine in Qixia, a jurisdiction under Yantai in the eastern coastal province of Shandong. The cause of the accident is under investigation but the explosion was large enough to release 70 tons of debris that blocked the shaft, disabling elevators and trapping workers underground. Such protracted and expensive rescue efforts are relatively new in China’s mining industry, which used to average 5,000 deaths per year. Increased supervision has improved safety, although demand for coal and precious metals continues to prompt corner-cutting. A new crackdown was ordered after two accidents in mountainous southwestern Chongqing last year killed 39 miners.

U.S. carrier group enters South China Sea amid Taiwan tensions (Reuters) A U.S. aircraft carrier group led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt has entered the South China Sea to promote “freedom of the seas”, the U.S. military said on Sunday, at a time when tensions between China and Taiwan have raised concern in Washington. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement the strike group entered the South China Sea on Saturday, the same day Taiwan reported a large incursion of Chinese bombers and fighter jets into its air defence identification zone in the vicinity of the Pratas Islands. The U.S. military said the carrier strike group was in the South China Sea, a large part of which is claimed by China, to conduct routine operations “to ensure freedom of the seas, build partnerships that foster maritime security”. China has repeatedly complained about U.S. Navy ships getting close to Chinese-occupied islands in the South China Sea, where Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan all have competing claims.

Israel targets flights, religious scofflaws, as virus rages (AP) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said Israel will be closing its international airport to nearly all flights, while Israeli police clashed with ultra-Orthodox protesters in several major cities and the government raced to bring a raging coronavirus outbreak under control. The entry of highly contagious variants of the virus, coupled with poor enforcement of safety rules in ultra-Orthodox communities, has contributed to one of the world’s highest rates of infections. Experts say that a lack of compliance with safety regulations in Israel’s ultra-Orthodox sector has been a major factor in the spread of the virus. Throughout the pandemic, many major ultra-Orthodox sects have flouted safety regulations, continuing to open schools, pray in synagogues and hold mass weddings and funerals despite broader lockdown orders. This has contributed to a disproportionate infection rate: The ultra-Orthodox community accounts for over one-third of Israel’s coronavirus cases, despite making up just over 10% of the population.

Arab Spring exiles look back 10 years after Egypt uprising (AP) The Egyptians who took to the streets on Jan. 25, 2011, knew what they were doing. They knew they risked arrest and worse. But as their numbers swelled in Cairo’s central Tahrir Square, they tasted success. Police forces backed off, and within days, former President Hosni Mubarak agreed to demands to step down. But events didn’t turn out the way many of the protesters envisioned. A decade later, thousands are estimated to have fled abroad to escape the government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi that is considered even more oppressive. The significant loss of academics, artists, journalists and other intellectuals has, along with a climate of fear, hobbled any political opposition. Human Rights Watch estimated in 2019 that there were 60,000 political prisoners in Egypt. The Committee to Protect Journalists ranks Egypt third, behind China and Turkey, in detaining journalists. El-Sissi maintains Egypt has no political prisoners. The arrest of a journalist or a rights worker makes news roughly every month. Many people have been imprisoned on terrorism charges, for breaking a ban on protests or for disseminating false news. Others remain in indefinite pretrial detentions.

Severe winds wreck homes, displace thousands in Mozambique (Reuters) Severe winds and heavy rains wrecked thousands of buildings, ruined crops and displaced almost 7,000 people in Mozambique over the weekend, officials said in their first detailed report on the disaster. Tropical cyclone Eloise hit Mozambique’s Sofala coastal province on Saturday morning before weakening and heading inland to dump rain on Zimbabwe, eSwatini—formerly known as Swaziland—and South Africa. The region’s Buzi district had been particularly hard hit with wind speeds of up to 150 kph.

Raising kids bilingual can make them more attentive and efficient as adults (CNBC) Adults who grew up speaking two different languages can shift their attention between different tasks quicker than those who pick up a second language later in life, according to a new study. This is just one of many cognitive benefits of being bilingual. Research has shown that bilingual kids are constantly switching between two languages in their brain, which increases “cognitive flexibility,” the ability to switch between thinking about different concepts or multiple concepts at once, and “selective attention abilities,” the mental process of focusing on one task or object at a time. Other studies have shown that bilingual children can complete mental puzzles quicker and more efficiently than those who only speak one language. The reason? Speaking two languages requires “executive functioning,” which are higher-level cognitive skills like planning, decision making, problem solving and organization. Basically, this task is a workout for the brain. The mental benefits of starting a new language early appear to last even as children grow into adulthood.

[cruelintentionsrp]

as the weekend winds down, we hope you’re having a great sunday so far ! it’s so, so exciting to see everyone’s amazing dev posts in the tag - we can’t wait to see your characters in action. and now, without further ado, here’s pt. 2 of our species reveal, with demons, cambions, and sirens !

demons. 

overview the physical representation of sin, insidious creatures of darkness. they are known by many names and in many forms, but perhaps the most well known is the abrahamic name: demons. a name that inspires feelings of fear and disgust, a name that invokes images of the most vile creatures one could imagine, a name they have taken for themselves out of mere convenience. although many mythologies express the belief of a hierarchy or all powerful greater leader, the truth is that they have no such thing. darkness incarnate cannot and will not be governed or controlled, and neither will they. the underworld most demons were created in the vast emptiness of the underworld. this realm is not made up of fire and brimstone like most legends suggest and is instead an opposite mirror to our reality - imagine if we lived under a veil of darkness, imagine no color. this is where the corrupt souls of those affected by violence or trauma come to reside; this is where you’re sent if you sell your soul to a demon, where exposure to the underworld’s atmosphere is what creates demons as we know them. it is very rare that a soul existing within the underworld stays a human soul for very long. the underworld is a realm completely engulfed in thunderstorms and void. because of the unpleasant atmosphere most of its residents are literally dying to escape, but only the strong can pull through the riptide that the winds of the underworld create between other realms. physiology they’re souls that have been marked by darkness, torn apart by the winds of the underworld and made completely undistinguishable from the humans they once were. this does not mean that they no longer carry any humanity – but for most, emotions such as love, loyalty and sympathy are disfigured and their morals skewed. when not in their corporeal form demons appear as a black cloud of smoke, making it incredibly easy for them to travel or inhabit a human body. they cannot take up residence in a human body for long without complications – even binding spells are only temporary. demonic possession is as it has always been portrayed – grotesque, dangerous and normally deadly. in fact, demons don’t need a human body to inhabit or even to walk on earth, as they’re both corporeal and incorporeal their solid form is the appearance they held at any age before their death.  however, thanks to magic they’re able to make minor changes to their form. what is most notable about demons, are their pitch black eyes which appear when provoked or sensing danger. abilities a demon’s power is limitless due to infernal magic. they pull all of their energy from the underworld, making them able to do nearly anything as long as it is derived from dark magic. possession, in reality, is mostly smoke and mirrors. it is rare for demons enter the vessel of a human as it is dangerous for both souls involved. most demons cast a sort of maddening illusion over humans – entering their brain through telepathy and causing them to hallucinate. those with weakened inhibitions are easy for demons to target and will them into sin. with enough power a demon can make just about any mortal or weaker non mortal their victim. wishes are granted by demons, but this most often ends with indentured servitude toward the demon. no one is sure what makes a demon able to cut into the fabric of fate it is but their most terrifying quality. forget the curses and the dark magic, a demon can make just about anything happen just so long as they have a soul to use.

weaknesses exorcisms are not to only rid a human of whatever demonic presence has control over them. with the right exorcism it can send a demon straight back to the underworld. of course, they’re always capable of crawling back out and exacting revenge so this may not be your best line of defense. holy water will deter a demon and burn their skin upon contact but will not kill or maim them. other ways to banish a demon or protect against them are enchanted sigils and spells that can only be completed by experienced witches and fairies. they’re the same species who are able to completely destroy a demon and tear them from eternal life. when a demon is completely extinguished the place of their death is also destroyed leaving behind a dark energy that invites death and chaos.

cambions.

overview cambions can only be conceived through a male demon and a female human.  some say that the cambions are beautiful – but there’s one thing we know – they're most certainly sinful. their lineage alone is a mixture of great power, known to strike fear in the hearts of many other creatures. due to their human appearance and mortal status, cambions have been able to glide through life without the need to “blend in”. a hidden secret resides in the history of the cambion race, having constructed nefarious societies and tyrannical governments from the julian claudian dynasty to, as rumors have it – even a few u.s presidents. most who know what they are absolutely hate to hide who or what they are and in the end, it’s just easier to hide in plain sight. physiology a cambion’s birth in the first hour is a still birth, and afterwards the creature begins to draw energy from the mother; this part is necessary in order for the creature to obtain vitality. If not abandoned entirely, cambions completely exhaust their mother’s lifeforce no more than a few years after their birth. because of this, cambions are often lost in adoption or foster systems without any knowledge of what they are. due to their lack of knowledge, instead of siphoning energy for survival, they often end up sick and dying before the age of 6. If they do survive, it is during their early teenage years that a cambion begins to experience their demonic nature in the form of depression, mood swings, and often a strong attraction to violence. cambion children often act out, especially for those who still lack the knowledge of what they are. once they’ve reached maturity, there is no hiding their above average temperature (normally about 101), or their eyes that darken to a blood red when in the presence of celestial magic, when in danger, or when provoked. abilities energy is extremely important to a cambion, it’s what keeps them alive, it’s what feeds them. so they have to pull energies from humans around them; which can result in death. they must learn to control their siphoning, or else they’re out of luck as far as human lovers and friends go. they can siphon magic, but only the infernal kind, and the same goes for what they can perform. a cambion particularly excels at fire magic, which is more dangerous when using infernal incantations or energies. they’re stronger and more powerful than a humans as well as slightly empathic, with an ability to sense certain emotions, such as apprehension, rage and sadness by touching a human. combined with their demonic urges, these abilities make cambions very dangerous creatures. weaknesses cambions are easily captured and weakened, especially when placed into a vulnerable state by making them emotional. by inciting powerful emotions, you can force a cambion to expend their energy completely until trapping them is entirely painless. they get their fill of energies around them, so the less you give them the less powerful they are. energies from different creatures can affect a cambion in various ways.  for instance, celestial magic can completely stop a cambion from using their abilities. killing a cambion also isn’t hard as they can die from a lack of vitality or starve; showing signs that they’re sick or becoming weak before eventually withering away. a cambion also isn’t impervious to death. just like their human half, they can die by serious wounds and diseases. essentially, a cambion is not immortal. after death upon death, a cambion instantly becomes a demon. they no longer have to siphon energy to live, but they’re also no stronger than other demons. thankfully, they’re spared a visit to the underworld, as their souls have already been torn apart enough by the demonic energy of their birth.

sirens.

overview the danger of a true siren cannot be captured by just a story, nor a rumor - they are in every sense of the word, predators. it is said they were once nymphs cursed by demeter, a story that can neither be confirmed or denied. sirens have been hunted since the middle ages, most notably in the 1700’s, a time when sailors and pirates perished at the hands of a siren's song. not only is their song deadly, they’re beautiful and alluring in every sense of the word, making it easy to get caught in a siren’s grasp. a siren’s love is all consuming, and most often a siren has no choice but to entertain their predatory nature and kill their partner. as you can imagine, relationships are extremely difficult for sirens, so many are left to resort to feeding only off of those they can sing into loving them for a night.

physiology rivaling the allure of fairies, sirens are arguably the most beautiful of all supernatural creatures. their natural beauty makes each siren incredibly attractive, but direct eye contact ensures that their prey stands no chance in getting away. their teeth are razor sharp, easily tearing through flesh and muscle with just one bite, yet their teeth are indistinguishable from human ones.  a siren also has a notably colder body temperature than humans, along with strength that matches that of a vampire. it doesn’t quite matter if a siren is born or turned; they all obtain their powers the same - by taking their first bite of human flesh. by doing so, their immortality takes hold, and their abilities are amplified. a siren must then continue to eat flesh for as long as they live; those who consume more flesh are stronger, but in turn, lack emotional empathy.

abilities to control their hunger is a power in itself. they're often plagued by an intense desire to consume human flesh that cannot be satisfied by animals alone. through their touch, they are able to imbue a human with oxytocin, making the victim so enamored  with a siren, they’ll do or say anything for them.  a siren’s song, is also the most dangerous weapon. most of their voices are naturally beautiful – your favorite popstar, for example. might be a siren -  but if the particular tone of a siren's song actually heard by human ears, it’ll render the listener completely paralyzed, which often leads to death. a siren, when strong enough can also control weather in their area - when their emotions are heightened, they can induce rainfall or thunderstorms,

becoming a siren many sirens are born, but creating a siren is also possible. this occurs when a siren bites a human, poisoning them with enough venom to render them unconscious. once nearly incapacitated, the same siren must then eat their heart, and submerge them fully in either fresh water or the sea. upon the next rising of the moon, a new siren will emerge from the water - this new siren must take their first bite of human flesh within that very same day, or they risk death.

[ju1ian]

evens for julian and odds for your legion courier (b/c i hate you)

thanks im on my way to your house to kill you !!!! 

evens are gonna be for my Sole Survivor Julian who has a tag on my blog i dont feel like linking but its OC: Julian if yall wanna read up on thatand odds are gonna be for….. Julius, the worst ever!! i regret giving them similar names now ! 

Which Fallout game are they from?-Fallout: New Vegas !! a real trash courier !!

Which faction(s) did they join and which did they destroy? Why?-Julian joined the Brotherhood of Steel and also the Minutemen and he destroyed the Railroad, because he didn’t like them, and The Institute, because he was pissed the hell off at his son. He joined the Minutemen because he wanted to do something nice, and he joined the Brotherhood of Steel because he needed that familiar military aesthetic. 

What is their S.P.E.C.I.A.L.?- S 10, P 2, E 7, C 10, I 2, A 5, L 1 (something like that i cant remember and im not looking at it rn)

Give us a summary of their backstory.- Julian gets discharged from the army for an injury in his shoulder two weeks before the bombs fall, he’s suffering from depression when he returns home and his marriage is sort of going south. He’s also really afraid of being a father because he thinks he’s a bad person incapable of doing anything good. 

What’s their full name and does it have a meaning? Do they have any nicknames and how did they get em?- Julius Septimus is his full name and Caesar gave it to him because he didn’t know what his name was and was just going by Courier. He doesn’t have any friends to give him nicknames but Vulpes calls him Degenerate a lot and he likes it. 

What’s their sexual, romantic, and gender orientation? Do they feel comfortable telling other people?- Julian is Bisexual and Biromantic, he identifies as a male and before the war he was closeted and was very afraid of telling anyone but after the war he is out and proud ! 

Do they have any mental illnesses? How do they cope?-Julius suffers from Bipolar Disorder and he does not cope very well. 

Do they have any medical conditions? Is medicine/ treatment available for them?- Julian has a bad shoulder but it doesn’t bother him too much. He has depression but there isn’t any real medicine to help him besides chems. 

How much do they care about their outer appearance? What’s their “beauty routine”? How often do they shower/ bathe?- Julius bathes when Vulpes bathes. he likes his hair to be combed without knots but thats all. His outer appearance doens’t mean very much to him. 

What do they fear the most?- Julian fears himself the most. 

They’re biggest flaw? Do they recognize it as a flaw?- Julius’ biggest flaw is his stupidity, and he does not see it as a flaw. 

What are they most insecure about?- Julian is insecure about his lips, they are large. 

What Wasteland threat do they fear the most? (ex. Deathclaws, super mutants, raiders)- GOD JULIUS IS TERRIFIED OF DEATH CLAWS AND CENTAURS 

What’s their zodiac sign or which one do you think they relate to the most? What are their placements (if you know them)? (ex. Aries sun, Taurus moon, Aquarius Venus)- Julian is a taurus because im a tuarus and i dont know who he would relate tot he most because i dont know that much about zodiac signs 

What’s their Myers–Briggs Type? (ex. ENTP, ISFJ)- i have no idea what this is tbh. 

What Harry Potter house would they be in? (ex. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw)- i didn’t real harry potter !!! all i know is that i myself took the sorting hat thing and got slytherin and since i project onto Julian A LOT he is probably also a slytherin. 

Which Pokemon Go team would they choose? (ex. Instinct, Valor, Mystic)- Julius would have chosen Instinct.

Out of the nine forms of intelligence (rhythmic, spatial, linguistic, mathematical, kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, and existential) which one(s) are they really good at and which one(s) is(are) their weakest?- Julian is good at: rythmic, inguistic, mathematic, and kinesthetic and weak at all the rest. 

What natural alignment are they? (ex. Lawful Good, Chaotic Evil)- Julius is chaotic evil without a doubt. 

Do they have any hobbies? What are they?- Julian collects magazines, and also dogs. He loves to spend time with all 8 of his dogs, he also loves to build things with Danse. 

Do they have a favorite holiday? How do they celebrate it?- Julius has no idea what a holiday is. 

What’s their favorite season?- Julian likes winter time. 

Do they have a temper or are they level headed?- Julius has the worst temper out of anyone in the Legion and that is a statement. 

Do they express their emotions freely or hide their true feelings?- Julian has a hard time expressing his emotions and tends to let them pile up until he has a breakdown. 

Are they a leader or a follower?- Julius is a follower for sure. But only if he likes you. 

How do they come off to others? What first impression do they usually make?- Julian comes off as a good person because that’s how he wants to come off. People tend to take a liking to him really easily. 

Do they prefer to travel alone or with company? Who have they traveled with if any? Current companion if any?- Julius preferred to travel with Arcade who was his only companion in the whole Mojave until he tried to leave him and had to die so now Julius stays alone when he’s not at The Fort with Vulpes. 

Would you describe them as selfless or selfish? Does it depend on the situation?- Depends on the situation. 

What do they find most attractive in others? Name at least one psychological and physical trait. (doesn’t have to be romantic attraction)- Julius likes pale skin, and smooth thighs. He also likes bossy, and thin. 

Do they flirt often? How easily do they fall in love?- Julian doesn’t exactly ‘flirt’ often but he does end up having a lot of sex. he didn’t really fall in love with anyone besides Danse though. 

What’s their love life like? Are they interested in anyone or in a relationship?- Julius is obsessed with Vulpes and would do anything for him. He hasn’t even thought of being romantically involved with anyone else 

Do they prefer to solve things diplomatically or using violence?- Julian resorts to violence more than he’d like to admit. 

What is their combat style? What range do they prefer? Do they sneak?- Julius’ combat style is hard and loud. He doesn’t sneak or really plan he just sort of barges in swinging. 

What weapon(s) do they always carry with them?- Julian always has Righteous Authority with him and also the Railway Rifle 

Their most prized possession?- A Light Shining in Darkness 

Their thoughts on power armor?- Julian loves to wear Power Armor. 

Favorite armor/ outfit?- Julius likes to wear the clothes Joshua Graham gave him but Vulpes always gets mad at him for wearing them EVEN THOUGH Caesar told him he LIKES when he wears those clothes and he doesn’t even care. (he wears the boomers outfit too) 

How’s their aim? Do their hands shake while pointing a gun?- Julian has super good aim from his military training. Could probably be a sniper. 

What are their thoughts on having to kill on a daily bases in order to survive? Does it take a toll on them? Or do they shake it off rather easily?- Julius has no problem killing on a daily basis. He gets agitated if he goes too long without violence. 

Thoughts on death if any? (ex. Fear it, accept it)- Julian accepts death. 

Do they move around a lot or prefer to have a place to call home?- Julius moved around a lot until he got his own tent at The Fort. 

What’s their favorite location?- Warren Theatre in downtown Boston !! nice and quiet !! also Starlight Drive-In becuase that’s where he lives !! 

Their opinions on ghouls, feral and not feral?- Not Feral are fine, Feral are scary and gross to him. 

Do they scavenge for their supplies or simply buy them?-Julian has more caps than he knows what to do with so he buys supplies. 

Are they the type to get distracted and go off to an unknown nearby location or do they stay on track?- Julius gets distracted and wanders off and Vulpes has to go find him. 

How do they sleep? Are they picky about where and how or can they sleep basically anywhere?- Julian isn’t picky but he prefers to sleep in his home at Starlight. He can make-do anywhere though. 

What’s their favorite radio station and song? (post-apocalypse)- Mad About The Boy because it reminds him of Vulpes. 

What’s their favorite post-apocalyptic food? Are they a picky eater? Do they know how to cook?- Julian don’t know how to cook !! he likes Dandy Boy Apples because he’s a fool who isn’t bothered by radiation poisoning until its severe ! 

What’s their favorite beverage? Do they drink alcohol?Julius will drink 30 Sunset Sarsaparillas in an hour and not even be bothered by how unhealthy it is. he isn’t supposed to drink alcohol but he does it in secret !! 

Do they have any tag skills?- i dont think so?

Anything they like to collect? (ex. Unique weapons, Bobbleheads)- Julius collects eyeglasses. like really, he has so many. he doesnt even wear glasses he just always picks them up. 

Are they good at disarming traps or do they constantly miss them?- oh my god Julian is shit at disarming traps. like so shit. he just sets them off and he doesnt even care. 

[general-bear]

Ayy do all the character development questions but try to answer each for a different character

I will do my best! I don’t have 45 characters, so there will be repeats. 

Does your character have siblings or family members in their age group? Which one are they closest with? // Ryan Kennedy: He has one sister, only a few years younger than him. They were close in childhood, but he left the house after a fight with his parents, and they haven’t spoken since. 

What is/was your character’s relationship with their mother like? // Will Rogers: She knew her only for the first four years of his life, and now she’s only a vague memory that he can idealize.

What is/was your character’s relationship with their father like? // Nathan Rivers: The two hated each other. Everyone knew. The bruises were obvious, though Nathan tried to cover them up with long sleeves and shaggy hair. And when the man was found dead in his own home, gun in hand and bullet in head, Nathan showed no emotion at all. 

Has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? If so, does anyone else know? // Soren West: Seeing his childhood home burn down was incredible traumatic for him, and he became even more unstable than he already was. Most people in his life know about it. Few people talk about it, except for him. 

On an average day, what can be found in your character’s pockets? // Libby Malcolm: An old pocket knife and whatever she found lying around on one of her scavenges 

Does your character have recurring themes in their dreams? // Regina D’Arques: Running, but not away from something, towards something. She still doesn’t know what it is. 

Does your character have recurring themes in their nightmares? // Liam Casey: Being stuck and being helpless seem to be a recurring theme. Some nights he’ll wake up crying. 

Has your character ever fired a gun? If so, what was their first target? // Rosaleen Kennedy: The first time she fired a gun, her heart stopped for a moment. It was basic training for her, just shooting at a blank target sheet, but it was still terrifying. 

Is your character’s current socioeconomic status different than it was when they were growing up? // Julian D’Arques: Granted, his family was far more wealthy after the war, but he has always lived a comfortable life as a lordling. 

Does your character feel more comfortable with more clothing, or with less clothing?// Libby Malcolm: Less clothing. She doesn’t like to feel constrained by her clothing. 

In what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been?// Xavier Larkis: Surprising, not when he was fighting for his life again enemy ships and sea monsters, and not even when he saw a shipmate kill someone else. It was when he got the letter from his wife that she was with child. He was happy, and excited, but terrified. 

In what situation was your character the most calm they’ve ever been? // Ace West: His first unaccompanied flight. He was incredibly nervous leading up to it, but once he was in the air, he felt peace wash over him, as if he was born to fly.  

Is your character bothered by the sight of blood? If so, in what way? // Taryn Iwamoto: At first, it bothered her, but as she saw more and more, it stopped getting to her. 

Does your character remember names or faces easier?  

Is your character preoccupied with money or material possession? Why or why not? // Tobias Larkin: Everything he does, he does for money. He doesn’t care who he kills, or who hires him, as long as he gets paid at the end of the day. 

Which does your character idealize most: happiness or success? // Rosaleen Kennedy: She has always valued success over anything. It was how she was raised.

What was your character’s favorite toy as a child? // Lily West: She loved her teddy bear. It was a little worn out, with a wrinkled ear from where she chewed it, and a patched tummy, but it was hers. 

Is your character more likely to admire wisdom, or ambition in others? // Ryan Kennedy: Wisdom over ambition. Ambition can be dangerous, but wisdom can get you places ambition can only dream of. 

What is your character’s biggest relationship flaw? Has this flaw destroyed relationships for them before? // Liam casey: Sometimes he is passive aggressive and angr for no reason, and is generally bad a communicating problems. This has ended the few relationships he had before CtF pretty quickly. 

In what ways does your character compare themselves to others? Do they do this for the sake of self-validation, or self-criticism? // Julian D’Arques: He loves to compare himself to others, but for the sake of making himself feel better. 

If something tragic or negative happens to your character, do they believe they may have caused or deserved it, or are they quick to blame others? // Ian Steiner: He will make a big show of blaming others, but inwardly, he always blames himself. 

What does your character like in other people? // Alyona Mikailov: Kindness and humbleness, and from that, strength and loyalty. 

What does your character dislike in other people? // Nakeya Iqbal: She dislikes arrogance and stupidity more than anything. She’s incredibly smart, and having to slow down and explain things to other people irritates her. 

How quick is your character to trust someone else? // Miles: He’ll trust anyone. It’s gotten him into many sticky situations, of course, but he knows he’ll be able to solve anything. 

How quick is your character to suspect someone else? Does this change if they are close with that person? // Teddy (not the Irish one): He is the opposite of Miles, and is cautious of everyone and everything. This doesn’t seem to change when he gets to know someone, because there’s still a chance….

How does your character behave around children? // Cinderstripe: She’s excellent with the kits, the perfect mixture of stern and fun. Before and after she was a mother herself, she would often look after the litters while the queens took a break. 

How does your character normally deal with confrontation? // Sam West: He’ll just start crying. That usually ends it pretty quickly. 

How quick or slow is your character to resort to physical violence in a confrontation? // Rebecca D’Arques: She’s extremely slow, only using physical violence when someone she loves is in danger. 

What did your character dream of being or doing as a child? Did that dream come true?// Danny Burwise: He always wanted to be an explorer as a kid, taking huge ships past the edge of the world. As he grew older, he become more timid, and the dream became lost for a while until he became a cabin boy on The Mutineer. 

What does your character find repulsive or disgusting? // Matthew Tucker: He hates touching hair. Especially wet hair. It makes him want to vomit.  

Describe a scenario in which your character feels most comfortable. // Kilroy Wallace: He loves to be the center of attention, and is known for his love of telling stories to a wide-eyed audience. 

Describe a scenario in which your character feels most uncomfortable. // James Meredith: Pretty much any situation that involves being a leader and making decisions will make him uncomfortable. He’d rather be following orders than giving them. 

In the face of criticism, is your character defensive, self-deprecating, or willing to improve?// Regina D’Arques: She will be defensive, arguing that her way is the right way, and criticism be damned. 

Is your character more likely to keep trying a solution/method that didn’t work the first time, or immediately move on to a different solution/method? // Shae Aubrey: She’ll keep trying different strategies until one of them works. And one of them has to work, right?

How does your character behave around people they like? // Will Rogers: He is loud, bold, and confident, and he’ll never stop talking, even when his friends have stopped paying attention. 

How does your character behave around people they dislike? // Elizabeth Harper: She’s rude, blunt, and a little snide. That being said, she dislikes the majority of people who cross her path, giving her a bad reputation. 

Is your character more concerned with defending their honor, or protecting their status?// Tobias Larkin: He is quick to defend his honor, and has been a participant in many drunken fist fights as a result. 

Is your character more likely to remove a problem/threat, or remove themselves from a problem/threat? // Li Zhang: She will always take it upon herself to fix any problem, remove any threat, even if it costs her dearly. 

Has your character ever been bitten by an animal? How were they affected (or unaffected)? // Bev Hopkins: She’s been bitten by a few animals in her time, once by a snake as a little girl, and then by her aunt’s dog as a young adult. The fingers on her left hand have never  quite recovered, and she is still wary of large dogs. 

How does your character treat people in service jobs? // Loyrs Rodverro: She believes that as long as someone is doing their job well, they should be left alone to do it. She can get a little impatient, however.

Does your character feel that they deserve to have what they want, whether it be material or abstract, or do they feel they must earn it first?// Jordan Sweets: Hard work is the only way to get what she wants. That, and luck. Lots of luck. 

Has your character ever had a parental figure who was not related to them? // Emmit: Tigris was almost like a mother to him, or at least a big sister. He loved her to death, especially whe she brough him sweets from the harbors they docked at. 

Has your character ever had a dependent figure who was not related to them? // Max Dunn: I would say that Skye Despereaux was like a younger brother to her, and protected him like he was one. Teased him, too. 

How easy or difficult is it for your character to say “I love you?” Can they say it without meaning it? // Soren West: He can say it all the time without meaning it. Words are just words, after all. But if the words are true, then they get caught in his throat and he brushes it off with a laugh and a hurried change of subject. 

What does your character believe will happen to them after they die? Does this belief scare them? // Marius Labelle: Raised Catholic, he believes in the whole heaven/hell shtick. He is afraid of going to hell, though. He knows it’s likely he will. 

[newsnigeria]

Check out New Post published on Ọmọ Oòduà

New Post has been published on http://ooduarere.com/news-from-nigeria/world-news/assange-new-immoral-western/

Assange: A New Immoral Western Precedent

by Ghassan Kadi for Ooduarere Via Saker Blog

Every time I write about how low the West has stooped, even make predictions as to how much further it is prepared to slump, I find that my wildest imaginations are surpassed in no time at all.

The arrest of Julian Assange and the foray of charges he is suddenly facing is now reaching a point that should only be seen as a yet another precedent that the West will “use” in the near future to stoop even lower.

To make sense out of this, we have to rewind the clock to the time when the Allies won WWII.

The first immoral Western precedent was to try hard to present to the world that the defeat of Nazi Germany was ONLY due to Western efforts and sacrifices. The heavy cost that Russia/USSR has paid, up to 40 million dead, was overlooked in the news and trivialized even in history books. As a matter of fact, a recent commemorative American coin marking the fall of Hitler has totally ignored the USSR even though it was actually Russian troops that entered Berlin, defeated Hitler and forced him to “disappear”. https://sputniknews.com/world/201905231075258961-us-coin-world-war-two-anniversary/

But that was just the beginning. Back then, the West, and specifically America, had the global mastery of wealth and technology. Controlling the media was only a small part of the bigger story of success that no other part of the world could compete with; not in any manner, shape or form.

Soon after came the Communist witch-hunt. But the hunt was not restricted to Communism in other nations, but also any American with any social justice inclinations. The infamous period of McCarthyism haunted and hunted everyone, including movie stars like Charlie Chaplin. But it was the role of America outside its international borders that had its biggest toll. Any country that defied the USA formed a “security threat” and the foundation of an American anti-Communist military intervention.

The first target was Korea. A UNSC resolution was sought and granted to launch an international “police action” against Korea.

The second big target was Vietnam. The USA found a way to dodge the need for a UNSC resolution to pillage Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. It also dragged in its allies.

A few decades and many invasions later, in its ramping up of world opinion against Saddam prior to the 2003 invasion, GWB used the excuse of a “pre-emptive strike”. He fabricated the story about the WMD’s and the rest is history.

In every step of the way, as America sees that it is able to get away with a new lame excuse with total impunity, it uses less and less credible reasons and justifications the next time around. It is like a downward spiral, an anti-crescendo, in which each time a new precedent is created, the next act of audacity will require less justification.

But the precedent set in the case against Assange is a serious and dangerous new low. It is an act that defies one of the basic foundations of the so-called “free world”. It is a witch-hunt that is directed at free journalism, and unless such witch-hunts stop, the next victim could be anyone. It can be you.

Assange has many critics. Some argue that he is an Israeli asset and that this is why he never criticized Israel. Perhaps he is. The truth is that I don’t know and no one has provided damning enough evidence proving that he is. Instead of being a Mossad agent, perhaps he likes Israel. I don’t know either. Perhaps also he did not have consensual sex with the woman accusing him of rape. None of the above is excusable, but WikiLeaks has undoubtedly exposed a lot of dirt about America and specifically the Clintons; and this is good enough in this context.

If people are waiting for the perfect faultless person, a saint, before any truth can be told and any dirt can be exposed, well, they can wait. But remember, let he without a sin cast the first stone. We are all imperfect. We all have our own faults and idiosyncrasies, but this doesn’t stop those of us who care from trying to make the world a better place.

Why is it that some people single out Assange and expect him to embody and symbolize perfection in every way before they acknowledge the good things he has done?

This statement about Assange had to be mentioned as in a “pre-emptive” attempt to answer some possible comments.

Back to the main subject.

As America is losing its clout, technologically, militarily and financially, it is acting like a mad wounded beast that will not stop at anything in order to guarantee survival. In a previous article I wrote a bit over a year ago, I have expressed my views on how America sees the world and how far it is prepared to be pushed. https://thesaker.is/how-far-can-the-americans-be-pushed/

And in a previous and much older article written back in 2012, I reiterated that if push comes to shove, America can always count on its unrivaled nuclear power. http://intibahwakeup.blogspot.com/2013/09/how-far-will-desperate-radical-america.html . But a lot has changed since, and with Russia’s and China’s hypersonic defence and attack missiles (which America does not have), fortunately for the world America no longer holds that trump card anymore and is incapable of scoring a decisive victory by striking either nation first. As a matter of fact, President Putin made a clear reference to this issue in a recent speech https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-putin-usa-missiles-idUSKCN1Q918U

All that America has left is to resort to acts of piracy, oppression and suppression. I say piracy because the way America is dealing with the issue of Iran sanctions is tantamount to piracy. As far as I know, never before in history did a nation boycott another, and then used its clout to coerce other nations to do the same.

And recently, America has been accused by laying traps for Iranian scientists, granting them visit Visas, and then arresting them at arrival. https://sputniknews.com/us/201905241075282775-US-Laid-Traps-Iranian-Academics-Visas-Arresting/ .If this isn’t piracy, what is?

Had America imposed sanctions on Iran back when Iran was issuing “fatwas” against the likes of British author Salman Rushdi, one could see a possibility for some kind of justification that can be used. But the source of terror is from perverted Sunni-based fundamentalism. All the fundamentalist organizations are based on distorted forms of Islam; Wahhabi Islam and the Muslim Brotherhood which are the versions adopted, sponsored, lived, and exported by the Saudis, Qataris and Turkey’s Erdogan, all of whom are America’s friends and allies. And those organizations are once again of Sunni affiliation, and they hate Shiite Iran’s guts. How on earth could Iran be supporting them?

And above all, it was the USA that helped establish many of those organizations and their spread in the West in the first place. Even Mohamed Bin Salman himself acknowledged this in a recent interview. https://www.rt.com/news/422563-saudi-wahhabism-western-countries/ . And the woman who rose to fame by refusing her presidential election defeat is also famous for admitting that “we” (ie American administration) created Al-Qaeda.

It goes without saying that the American-Iranian standoff is about the protection of Israel, and it would do Americans a lot of good if they openly said that Iran did not breach the nuclear deal treaty, it is not responsible for the spread of terror, and we simply want to sanction it because of its anti-Israeli stand. Such truth, crude as it may be, may give America some credibility albeit in a farcical manner.

Why don’t Trump or Pompeo openly and honestly say “America First” means that “we have to put our hands on Venezuela’s oil?” Everyone knows this is what it is all about.

But what honest excuse can America give for persecuting Assange? It cannot say we are after his neck because he has exposed our dirt, so they conjure up a whole list of accusations, 17 charges to be exact; and the citation of this is not necessary.

No, I will not put Assange on par with Socrates, but how can humanity today accept that someone is being persecuted for exposing dirt? More than two thousand years after the execution of Socrates, humanity is still ashamed. What happened to the days of Bernstein and Woodward? Do people still remember them? Well, for those of short memory, those two then unknown junior journalists gave the suffix “gate” to political scandals when they initiated their own Watergate investigation, and which eventually led to the impeachment and resignation of the then President Richard Nixon. The two journos became heroes and won medals, but Assange ends up in jail. He is not a saint, but he is definitely not a criminal, at least not by the charges they have against him. If he is indeed guilty of rape, then let them provide the evidence and charge him if proven guilty. But his political charges don’t have a foot to stand on. And the Swedish Government cannot expect the world to believe that the whole hullabaloo is about a single incident of rape in a country with a surging rape rate. What makes the positon of the Swedish Government more blatantly hypocritical is the fact that courts in Nordic countries have a very lenient stance in punishing rapists. They seem to be more compassionate towards rapists than the actual rape victims; especially after the recent rape surge that is seemingly associated with migration. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/04/rape-and-sexual-violence-in-nordic-countries-consent-laws/. So once again, why single out Assange? What a shame.

And we cannot speak of Assange without at least mentioning Bradley/Chelsea Manning. Manning does not receive the same publicity that Assange does, but her predicament is not any less.

What is more foreboding than American actions are those of EU nations. Nations like France and Germany are meant to be smart. I will leave Britain out, because Britain has strong historic and cultural links with America. But how can Germany and France be so stupid in following America’s instructions and fake accusations of Russia to justify sanctions? How can they accept an American missile buildup in Western and Eastern Europe?

And Sweden, the nation that has always represented the fair and compassionate side of politics, how can it justify its witch-hunt against Assange? This is the capital of the Nobel Prize for God’s sake. This is the nation that allegedly promotes and fosters peace. And Norway, beautiful clean peaceful Norway, is allowing the US to base missile batteries on its soil poised at Russia. Why? Have they all gone mad?

America is taking the term “unprecedented” to an unprecedented new level, and every time it commits a new unprecedented audacious act, brace yourselves for more audacity.

So ever since sidelining the role of the USSR in defeating the Third Reich, America started by ignoring facts, and moved on to exaggerating foreign threats, to fabricating evidence, to piracy and suppressing free journalism; all the while, Western nations follow like brainless sheep. Perhaps the new precedent to watch out for will be after all honesty-based, saying it as it is…. “We want to invade your country because we want your resources.”

[bulletinedsolitude]

You’re just right at my skull. Great!

A Huge Trouble

A huge trouble, I reckon Walking with a doubt upon Looking from the cowls, the masks the rocks, the so deadly mocks

So kid, daring and dreamer Walk, reason than chin taller For the assertive you lend, and for the terrors, do bend

For as the time calls for you, you may not hustle for clues of where the compass points to Just gaze at your stars, and you

Shall highly know what to do.

More or less an hour before that piece existed, I had a painful blank page in front of me. That is a story of my trouble trying to start working on how to introduce myself “creatively.” It is a way of convincing and finding my momentum of writing genuinely, because that’s how I naturally like it—my pen must always spit out raw thoughts, like the ones running in my head in a state of solitude, otherwise the things that come out of my mind will sound foreign to myself, and someone told me non-genuine literature is trash.

Speaking of solitude, to officially start introducing myself, I will explain why I went with the name of my blog, “Bulletined Solitude.”

The Story behind Bulletined Solitude (that sounds like a so sad, so lonely feature story :()

First thought when I heard about making a blog, I wanted everything to be real, because it’s easier to write that way, and from there, the words would come out of me naturally. Writing is one of the things that I have resorted to when I felt something, because I’m not the kind of person who’s easy to get comfortable speaking about things that are very personal about me, so I would end up channeling all the emotions through my pen and paper. But for that to happen, my environment must have the sense of peace and loneliness.

So, I thought having a blog that features my honest insights, would be like bringing my solitude into publication, and bulletined solitude means something like that to me, so I chose it. And you thought it was deep.

So, yes, genuine yada yada, tell us about yourself then!!!

One thing that comes with writing, is reading. So that means I read, apparently. I started reading (literary-wise) when I was 13. I remember it was Bob Ong’s Kapitan Sino that I ever read first. And that basically influenced what I have read after that, and what I will be reading in the future probably. It is a fine chop of fantasy, dystopia, and heroic fiction. And we’re not snubbing the little touch of romance there, of course. Up to this date, my favorite books so far are Victoria Aveyard’s Red Queen Series, Veronica Roth’s Divergent Series, and The Eye of Minds by James Dashner.

While I think reading have shaped my mind better, I don’t take it seriously, so maybe it only does happen subconsciously. I jump into a book only with the aim to escape and be entertained, anything that comes with it is a subconscious blessing.

I really want to talk about my favorite book characters as well, because I’m an introvert learning only from book characters instead of going out and learning by myself. Kidding (jokes are half meant). But here they are:

Beatrice “Tris” Prior from Divergent. I love her basically because she’s brave and witty at the same time. I know the movies made her two-dimensional by portraying her as a stiff girl turned fighter and then she’s just that. But that’s expected for mainstream movie adaptations, always fails at shaping a character. In the book though, she was more than just that. Every choice she made meant so much more because her thoughts justified it, including the part where she sacrificed herself to stop the spread of serum that makes everybody lose their memories, which was sadly not featured in the adaptation. The movie series lost me there; I don’t deny that the first installment is still okay though.

Anika Dragomir from Anatomy of a Misfit. This girl gave me good laughs, but more than anything, I related to her because of her flaws—from her thoughts and her deeds. She’s a character who tried to be shallow by being one of the cliché high school perfectionists, but always knew she wasn’t. She made wrong choices and did regret, which makes the whole story much more close to heart. Also, #NoToGuns.

Logan McDonough from Anatomy of a Misfit. He is an adorable, loving, selfless person. He’s one of those few characters that you think were so easy and predictable, but at the end of the story, an act he did is revealed, so full of impact and so inspiring that it makes all your past impressions of him fade away immediately. His family is basically abused by his father who is a gun owner/enthusiast (he has a collection, if I remember correctly) and Logan’s the person who has been protecting his siblings from his father’s violence until that night when it all had to end with the loss of life.

Tiberias Calore “Cal” VII from Red Queen. He is not gonna be the last character I will list here from the same story so I’ll have to explain a little bit. Basically, their world is the Kingdom of Norta, a dystopian country divided by classes of two: Silver and Red bloods (except in the later installments, there will be Newbloods), with the former being the powerful ones for having supernatural abilities and the red bloods who are ordinary people. I listed him here for his bravery of breaking boundaries by connecting to a red blooded person, which is supposed to be forbidden as a silver blood, that may be easy-sounding, believe me, in his case, it takes a lot of guts. He is also just enough of confident and self-assured, which is deserved because he’s the first prince. And he embodies that strong and fearless but bending warrior. And he bears the ability of manipulating fire, so what’s not to like?

“I am your rightful king, Silver-born for centuries. The only reason you're still breathing is because I can't burn the oxygen from this room.” — Cal

Killed. It.

Mare Barrow from Red Queen. She made everybody’s jaw drop to the ground when she, a red blood girl, turned out to have the ability to create/control electricity. But her character is more important and she is here because of three things: she’s a fighter, she’s strong, and she’s a dreamer.

“I have lived that life already, in the mud, in the shadows, in a cell, in a silk dress. I will never submit again. I will never stop fighting.” — Mare

I am gagged.

Maven Calore from Red Queen. Spoilers first: her mother turned him an evil. But I will never forget how true he was at the beginning and how dreamy he was as a character. He was so good and so kind, I wanted to be his friend. And for him to be caged in his mother’s influence, I am weeping inside.

“The truth is what I make it. I could set this world on fire and call it rain.”

I have not lost hope for him. But…

(c) to owner

#MareCal since the beginning.

If it’s not enough evidence, I am obsessed with Red Queen; I need May 15th to happen because the fourth and final installment is released that day. War Storm, wait for me.

Moving on.

When it comes to television, I’m not denying my Super Inggo obsession back in the day. I craved so hard for a kwek-kwek every day. But recently, I’ve come to love English and Korean series/dramas also, most of them being anything fantasy or medical. Favorites are probably D-Day, Grey’s Anatomy, The Flash, Westworld and Stranger Things.

Power Rangers is on another level. It’s an interest I share with my brother (probably the only one). Now, I did not watch so much of it as a kid, I think I only watched two/three seasons, but lately I have been watching more because of him. And the 2017 movie deserves 5 stars, it was fantastic, it made me nostalgic.

I AM THE BLUE RANGER. Do not steal it.

I was a website layout enthusiast once; I don’t know how currently rusty I am at it because I’ve never tried it since Grade 10. My teacher made me attend this competition, Technolympics and I won it (surprisingly) when I was in Grade 8, but that was just a simple static HTML website, if I may be honest it’s the neat layout that made me win it, but it’s nothing special with the coding.

I was also a campus journalist; I jumped quite from different roles every time though: broadcasting team technician, to reporter, to paper layout artist, to news editor. It’s all over the place, so I really never got to develop one skill.

When it comes to my behavior, I am slightly that kid who stutters at first meeting, hard to open up, and just straight up awkward. I am very wary of what I say at first meeting, I kind of have trouble forming the perfect topic to throw out there to a person I just met. Even to people I’ve been with long enough, I always find a way to make up something funny just so we won’t go to the serious side. I also get crazy though, like laugh to the end of Earth kind of crazy.

And…I watch ASMR (a term for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) videos in YouTube. They are used to trigger a static/tingling sensation which you may feel from the top of your head down your spine. I do it to enhance my napping though. Try some:

Category is: Slam book Realness

I never had a slam book, neither did my classmates (because we’re all boring; okay maybe at least one did or it’s just me who didn’t have). But I’ll be trying to be cool once in my life so here is me trying to answer slam book template questions:

PERSONAL INFO Real Name: Judd Vander Rondares Birth Month: May Zodiac Sign: Gemini Gender: M Age: 17 Romantic Status: Single (since birth and not ever regretting hehe)

FAVORITES Color: Blue Song: I Don’t Know My Name by Grace Vanderwaal Singer: Grace Vanderwaal Movies: Love You to the Stars and Back and Big Hero 6 Actors/Actresses: Winona Ryder, Joshua Garcia, Katherine Langford, Eddie Redmayne, Models: Kris Grikaite, Kit Butler, Jordan Barrett, Jhona Burjack, Julian Schneyder, Mayowa Nicholas

OTHERS Motto: Outdo yourself. What is Love (this can’t be not done): God is love. :D

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING

Where do I see myself 10 years from now? Was my learning in SPUP vital to where I’m leading to? I see myself a fully realized professional, independent, responsible, self-sustaining, and helpful citizen of the Philippines. hehe Back in Grade 10, there was a career planning program, and for the activities, I would always not know what to write for my future plans because there were not a lot of people who gave me inspiration of what insights I should have for my future aside from my parents, and one of the things that I liked about going in SPUP is that I was surrounded by people whose aspirations boosted what I already had in mind, but not very sure of. But aside from that, of course SPUP was a good school to go for SHS, and to be honest, any school would have been okay, because I’m going for a four-year college anyway and I didn’t need a school that would make me ready for literal work/job already, I just needed something to give me background for my future course, and SPUP did okay in that department, I believe.

Was STEM the best choice after all? Yes, because now that I know the path that I’m taking (will be further discussed in the next question), it is very apparent that STEM was the best choice for me.

What course will you take in college and why? My answer to this is like a continuation for my answer in the previous question. I recently just decided to take Medical Technology, and it was after a few talks with my mother, I didn’t know it was what I needed to make up my mind. I don’t mean that I was persuaded to take the course, I just didn’t have the confidence to take it, doubting that I may not be that passionate about it so I wanted some advice. I’ve long decided that I will not take a course that I’m not passionate about, I didn’t have to hear it from anybody—I just knew it. So, when I learned that she does think my plan is worth investing and especially knowing my cousin has graduated from it, made me motivated to truly pursue it.

What topic would you like to learn more in this subject? I already have taken Microsoft Office lessons and some HTML, so naturally, I would like something that I have never taken before. Since we already took Photoshop (I wouldn’t be mad for more though), maybe Illustrator, or anything for video editing. It would be also nice to revisit HTML since I’ve forgotten lots of tags already, or JavaScript.

Ask Me Anything.  Sir, masyado bang maikli tong introduction ko? Sorry po sa grammatical errors, ang dami kasi, mahirap mag-spot. Haha

Along your way, you’ll see the deepest secrets of my brain, never be terrified.

[sleepymarmot]

DS9 season 5 liveblog

[Season index: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 PS]

Apocalypse Rising

This is the worst device prototype... :D

Sisko makes a very handsome Klingon!

"But don't forget, this is still your fault." I knew they'd have to make a joke about this... :D

The Klingon practive! :D

Dukat does a Renegade interrupt... :D "It was either that or trust in Mister Worf's ability to lie. And frankly, I have more faith in my weapons"

How does nobody recognize Worf?!

Okay, so when Odo "got sick" he was actually poisoned by the Founders to bring him to them for judgement except it was to implant him with false information so that they would assassinate Gowron for them, except if they managed to kill Gowron it would have been obvious he was a Klingon, and if they caught Martok in the field his identity would have been exposed, so maybe they just intended them to be caught and be a reason for escalation, but none of this is addressed...

What was the official reason for invading Cardassia anyway, I don't remember after marathoning so fast?

The Ship

I like O'Brien and Muniz

of course a female Vorta wears a bright colored dress with giant cleavage, heavy makeup, and earrings

oh god, did the boy actually die? :O

I freaking knew it was a changeling aboard

god, so many people died because of miscommunication?!

(This trope is pretty much my worst nightmare aaa) 

this is one of the most upsetting stories so far :( I don't think even Hard Time made me cry for so long...

Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places

Julian...

Worf has good taste!

"What house is she from" Boy you have a surprise waiting for you! :D

grow up, Julian, seriously... :D

poor Worf, what an embarrasment

what a happy poly family!

someone's jealous, Odo!

aw everyone, stop making their lovely arrangement awkward

oh Worf, when will you see it :D

aww just accept that the three of you are married now

that's what you get for being nosy at the beginning of the episode, Julian :D 

congrats on the sex, everyone! :D I didn't expect Quark to actually get lucky with Grilka... And I'm so happy that Worf finally got laid properly -- it was so sad to watch his human-like advances on Deanna and that one half-Romulan in TNG.

this episode watered my crops, cleared my skin etc. it's been an hour and I'm still in a great mood

...Nor the Battle to the Strong

Bashir's unstoppable monologue claims another victim

I really like this dynamic -- young Jake who didn't know what he was getting into and feels very out of place, and the mature and experienced Bashir seen from his perspective

oh god, Bashir is so happy and relieved to see Jake and even apologies while Jake is about to be crushed by his guilt, I'm going to cry :(

Bashir is such a kind person :(

The Assignment

Yikes, you two really messed up! "I have to be in surgery, operating." "On who?" "I'll find someone."

Wow, Rom's really a genius

I hope this was *the* O'Brien suffering episode of the season and he'll be free for the rest of it! It was pretty tame, especially compared to last year...

Trials and Tribble-ations

I've been looking forward to this episode for years! And I just rewatched The Trouble with Tribbles for preparation.

What did Bashir do to his hair?!

"I'm a doctor, not an historian"

omg Odo in the same frame as Uhura and Chekov!

damn, they're really good at pasting new characters into the archive footage :D

Dax repeating Spock's line :D

going back to the greyness of the DS9 ops after all these bright colors...

This is really a perfect example of an anniversary/tribute/crossover episode! All of those disappointing cameos in TNG look even weaker now. And the visuals are incredible. I expected them to just but back and forth between old and new footage, not to actually edit TOS scenes -- and so cleanly!

Let He Who is Without Sin...

Poor introverted Worf...

I still don't want to see Julian/Leeta but at least they came here to break up

Worf I'm pretty sure this is illegal not to mention tremendously stupid

welp this was bad

Things Past

yikes Garak, no the Bajorans don't appreciate you playing devil's advocate

poor Dax "ran out of speculation" trying to justify standard filming conventions :D

y i k e s @Dukat

Garak: "I never knew we were such messy conquerors. I remember the occupation being a little more tidy than this." Sisko: "Everything's tidy when someone else is doing the cleaning." Garak: "The Bajorans were much more suited for this sort of thing than we were. Servile work is in their nature." also yikes

Dax is hyper-competent this time. like we’ve seen in “Past Tense”, she has a talent for impersonating someone from the past

"When your people resort to terrorism and violence, they're fighting against order, against stability, against the rule of law, and this must be stopped" this is all about trying to convince Odo that the Founders are right, isn't it

A reversal of "Necessary Evil" -- this time it's Odo who didn't magically spend years enforcing order for the occupants and still remain innocent. Odo as a "former Cardassian oppressor" is a story that was waiting to be told (even if this episode is weaker than Necessary Evil). The further I go, the more I become convinced that Odo is the best character and the heart and thematical center of the entire story. 

I... don't really understand Garak's part in this episode. Dax is better than him as a secret agent, Odo is better both at being a Cardassian oppressor and at reflecting on it. It's not like I expected Garak to go "omg I learned my lesson" at the end, but I was waiting for something. He comes off kind of naive and incompetent about the whole thing. And Odo of all people saying "Interesting that a simple tailor should just happen to have a high-level security code" is out of season or out of character and either way has no place here. Which kind of makes me lose faith that the rest of Garak’s behavior -- why is he so eager to parrot anti-Bajoran propaganda? -- is a part of some long pre-planned arc. By now I kinda have a feeling that the writers just throw out random lines and hope the actor’s skill will save them.

The Ascent

Odo is Cassandra Pentaghast :D

How did they survive in these conditions without food and water? Sometimes I don't know if I'm too weak & spoiled or the writers are exaggerating the hardships their characters go through...

Jake-Nog subplot got solved too fast

Rapture

What, they just change uniforms overnight in the middle of the season?!

"Those of you who were in the Resistance, you're all the same. You think you're the only ones who fought the Cardassians, that you saved Bajor singlehandedly. Perhaps you forget, Major, the Cardassians arrested any Bajoran they found teaching the word of the Prophets. I was in a Cardassian prison camp for five years and I can remember each and every beating I suffered. And while you had your weapons to protect you, all I had was my faith and my courage."

Look, I can understand why Sisko is choosing his visions over everything, and maybe I would have done the same, but this still squicks me and I don't want to watch it

Let me guess, all this religious propaganda will be justified because Sisko's vision will reveal something super important about the Dominion's moves

can we not go back to Bajoran spirituality any time soon please

(Why did the visions start, anyway? He was zapped by the holosuite computer, so what?)

Btw, if, judging from the uniforms, First Contact happened between the previous episode and this one, I'd like a reference to it? Worf, you were there! Sisko, that was the Borg! Hello?

The Darkness and the Light

ouch D:

if he was just a servant, how does he have the skills and knowledge for precize and difficult attacks like these?

"He wanted to protect the innocent and separate the darkness from the light. But he didn't realise the light only shines in the dark and sometimes innocence is just an excuse for the guilty" why is Kira talking like this... what kind of OOC bullshit...

maybe it's just because I caught Bryan Fuller's name in the credits, but this just felt like an episode of Hannibal... A string of brutal and overcomplicated murders, a grotesque villain with poetic speech, focus on misogynistic violence... I sure hope Discovery is nothing like this! I'm so angry Kira's friends died for this nonsense

the only good part was Kira’s unrepentant speech

The Begotten

Baby changeling! Odo gets "The Offspring" of his own! Let's hope this one has a happier ending...

is it just me or is Bashir prettier than usual in this episode?

Odo don't put the baby in a cup!!! what if someone drinks it?! D:

oh god, he's making Odo do these things himself D:

what a magical moment!!! aaaa

oh no Odo was so happy I just knew they'd kill his baby

he's holding it in his hands :((

I had a feeling they'd be able to link!! Even the conclusion is like "The Offspring" -- the father absorbs his child. I expected the story to end with Odo having to give it to the Founders because only they can save its life/raise it for some reason

Odo and Kira bonding over losing their babies :(

finally, a great episode again!

For the Uniform

Loving the manual departure scene! But how exactly is Nog relaying communications to the engine room?

I continue to understand nothing about the Maquis situation. What's a "Maquis colony"? I thought only the terrorists themselves used that name, not the civilians they protected? 

Eddington's use of chemical weapons against civilians is presented as moral event horizon, but Sisko's retaliation in kind is postfactum approved by Starfleet? I thought he was bluffing, and I assume his crew thought he knew what he was doing which is why they didn't object, but Eddington expected him to act like a villain and he literally did?? He used weapons of mass destruction against an entire planet populated by humans who may or may not be Federation citizens (or, alternatively, Cardassian citizens, which might be even worse politically). But that's fine, because the entire population of that planet managed to evacuate before the poison killed them. I don't know how to go on watching the show after this.

In Purgatory's Shadow / By Inferno’s Light

Bashir is great :D

Aw, Bashir isn't going with him? :(

hate to agree with Dukat, but yeah, this is inappropriate

"The man is a heartless, cold-blooded killer" "Like I said, he's a Cardassian"

w h a t

damn, just as I thought Julian was being unusually cool at the beginning of the episode, he turned out to be a changeling

okay, I knew about Dukat and the Dominion and had been waiting for it. but I'm stuck on Changeling Bashir. How long? Since before the uniform change? I feel betrayed. I want to believe it was the real Bashir in The Begotten! Not only because I love that episode -- the presence of a Founder would have changed the plot completely!

I thought I could spend one episode without gushing about how Dukat is written, but apparently not, so here it goes. This plot twist makes perfect sense on so many levels! Sisko has commented before on how quick Dukat was to join the winning side after the fall of the Obsidian Order. Dukat himself made a big speech about missing the good old times when Cardassia was feared (and as a viewer, I kind of miss that too...). Cardassia is the main antagonist of the show's past and the Dominion -- of present/future, and their autoritarian nature is pretty similar. As far as I remember, Dukat hasn't met the Founders before and is probably unaware of their deep hatred of solids, plus his usual overconfidence makes him underestimate the Dominion’s power, so I can see how he would treat this like any other alliance. I hope this means we'll see more Cardassians again, not just Jem'Hadar exploiting their territory and resources. 

I wish Ziyal were a bit more conflicted over the entire thing -- she spent her entire life idealizing her father and trying to justify his actions, and taking off the rose-tinted glasses should be more difficult and traumatic than "Oh I guess all of you were right and my dad is a bad guy after all".

Doctor Bashir, I Presume

Leeta, just ask him out yourself!

lol, Bashir should have told them about the hologram...

I knew the big spoiler, but assumed the genetic enhancement was prenatal, so the actual story about parental ableism still came as a surprise. I hope this will be discussed again in the following episodes! 

The story about a son who has good reasons to resent the father but forgives him in the end is a bit to similar to The Begotten, but I don't mind that much.

Miles is such a good friend :')

All of the A-plot was great, but the B-plot slightly spoiled the impression.

The resolution of the problem is what should have happened in the first place. Julian is in no way responsible for what was done to him as a child!

So if we didn't take this perfect opportunity to talk about changeling!Bashir now, I guess that won't be discussed ever?

A Simple Investigation

"I've done things in my life I'm not proud of, too. You worked for Draim, I worked for the Cardassians. I never had the courage to walk away. You did. I admire that"

Bashir and O'Brien's larping :D

I thought Odo wasn't capable of enjoying this kind of thing?

"Once, on my homeworld, I had an experience that you might consider sexual" uh... did I miss something? 

remember season 1 when Odo was adamantly aroace? good times...

wait what did he do with her hand?

the plot was so boring I had to force my self to focus on screen. and why make Odo fall in love (again) and have sex? that's stupid, leave him alone

Business as Usual

How come Quark is shunned by absolutely everyone? And the general disapproval is represented by Kira (who herself admits that weapon trade saved Bajor), Sisko (who used WMD only a few episodes ago) and Dax (a big fan of a certain culture built around violence).

Ties of Blood and Water

Just as I was thinking that this season has a lot stories with daddy issues, and that Kira doesn't have a father -- this guy shows up! Aww, Kira is so happy to see him"! I hope this doesn't mean he'll be dead by the end of the episode...

"I'm dying" of fucking course........

SHE JUST THREW A CUP RIGHT AT HIS FACE this is incredible

(Kira is literally too tired to deal with his shit. And it's beautiful. I don't think I've ever seen anything like her body language, expressions and voice in this scene. She doesn't even dignify his "sick little games" with a single shifting of pose before that one sharp movement to throw the cup.)

(at first I thought the cup broke as it hit his face, which was a completely delightful image, but sadly not what happened)

Kira, he was a member of the Central Command, what did you expect?

Weyoun is great :D

Kira, have you finished questioning him or not? If not, you shoud continue, regardless of your personal relationship.

I really enjoyed this episode, though there are some things that don't let me be truly impressed by it. It was pretty predictable; Kira's anger seemed naive and immature, and the revelation at the end did not completely disperse that impression.

From reactions of Odo and Bashir, who say nothing like "It's your duty to continue asking him questions" it seems like their interviews were over, but the montage and Dukat's poisoning attempt suggest the opposite. All of that is a shame, because this episode is my favourite kind of DS9 episode.

Ferengi Love Songs

Why is the Nagus of all people completely fine with her wearing clothes?

It's disappointing to go back to status quo. I thought the new life without a Ferengi business license would mean character development, but apparently not. And Ishka is weaker here than in Family Business.

Soldiers of the Empire

Always love a good Klingon episode! Honor! Fighting spirit! Jadzia and Worf being awesome!

Also I'm greatly amused that Julian was assigned to be an intelligence officer of all things.

Children of Time

O'Brien is the only one who reacts normally to this creepy situation...

The premise of the entire story doesn't work for me because apparently we're supposed to think that being stuck on an isolated planet with little technology is idyllic instead of horrifying??? I'd do a lot of things just to prevent that. Imagine all the inbreeding that must happen with only 48 ancestors, eww.

Oh boo fucking hoo, you won't have descendants on the planet, well you'll have about as many in the real world in 200 years, plus your absense at DS9 won't deal a strategic blow to the security of the Alpha Quadrant -- why isn't anyone talking about that?

And as usual with time loop stories, it's hard to take the entire thing seriously because -- what happened the first time? Did Jadzia fail to check the logs? Did they not meet their future descendants at all, sat for two days on the empty planet repairing the ship and just happened to stumble upon the anomaly on their way out? By interacting with the crew, the colonists are already changing the timeline, so there's no reason to believe that going back in time will preserve their history instead of making a new version of it.

Blaze of Glory

Eddington is like people who complain about products that have too many 'chemicals'

The writers didn't know what to do with the Maquis so they wiped them out offscreen and tried to wrap up the story with another team-up of rivals, but Eddington is no Dukat and the story itself is not strong enough. RIP Maquis storyline, you were a mess.

Empok Nor

Ouch, Garak, don't so casually bring up O'Brien's greatest traumas!

I have a bad feeling about all of these young nameless officers...

That doesn't look like a great environment for someone with claustrophobia

Cardassian faces always look so great in chiaroscuro! Since season 2 I've wanted to see Garak in this lighting, and the show finally delivers.

"You're right. I'm an engineer" :D

Very cheesy episode, but I enjoyed it more than any of the Mirror ones...

In the Cards

The scene with the crazy doctor and bargaining with Bashir are really hilarious...

"It is enough to know that you and I have found so many common interests. I feel that we are very much alike. :))))" "*grabs his ear* No. We are nothing alike. Nothing at all. :))))))"

What a wonderful episode!!! (But where was Dax?)

Call to Arms

"We're losing the peace, which means a war could be our only hope"

THIS IS SO EPIC!!! And finally, Sisko's prophecy in "Rapture" comes true.

General impressions:

Dax was reinvigorated! -- by the romance or not, but she seemed more vibrant than ever this season. Bashir got more character development! O'Brien suffered a little less than in the previous years! Dukat got to be openly antagonistic!

As usual, my favorite part is the main epic plot. There were three great comedy episodes this time: Par'Mach, Tribbles and Cards. Other favorites: Nor the Battle to the Strong; Things Past; The Begotten; Doctor Bashir, I Presume; Ties of Blood and Water.

Once again, Klingons are allies, Cardassians are enemies, and Quark is not an outcast. Must we cling so hard to the status quo?